The police officer who video-taped a woman he stopped over an alleged traffic violation is to be reported to the Police Commission for exceeding authority by posting footage of the interaction in social media, Colombo Telegraph learns.
The video, originally posted on a Facebook page called පොලීස් මිතුරෝ (Police Friends) by a Police Officer named U.P. Dissa. While the said post has since been removed from the page without explanation, it has been copied and shared by others.
Sources close to the woman in the video told Colombo Telegraph that she will bring the matter to the attention of the Police Commission.
The video shows the woman holding some currency notes in her hand while the police officer accuses her of attempting to bribe him. The police officer then demands that the woman accompany him to the Police Station.
Colombo Telegraph is in possession of the video but will not post it since the Police cannot make public recorded material in the first instance.
While it is legal to take a photograph or video something in a public place as long as it is not offensive or does not cause nuisance to anyone, consent is required in the case of recording anything in a private place. In any event, no police officer has the right to publicize such material, according to legal experts. (By Renuka Jayasinghe)
PoorCitizen / October 31, 2017
Bending the law like the Boss.
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Dilhara / November 1, 2017
This is in fact a form of sexual harassment.Bored policemen like to stop attractive looking women drivers on false pretenses- to entertain themselves by harassing women.
I have several friends who are women drivers in Colombo who have even complained about being stopped for no reason by cops. One reported these incidents to the OIC traffic and IGP some time back.
The police and security guards need education on NOT abusing their authority and harassing women drivers and women in general.
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punchinilame / November 1, 2017
A few test Court cases will teach the Police Dept. quicker than any theoretical approach?
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Dinuk / November 1, 2017
Looks like she opened her wallet to get her driver’s license or car insurance card. The bribery allegation is dubious.
In any case to post this is a form of sexual harassment by police and stern action must be taken against the policemen.
More important gender-sensitive education of police and all security officials is needed in the county. There should be at least 30 percent women in the police and forces to change sexism there.
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justice / November 1, 2017
There should be 50 percent of women in the police force.
Only then, women of Sri Lanka will be free of police harassment.
Even now, no woman will dare visit a police station especially at night, alone.
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Ben Hurling / November 1, 2017
Exactly. IGP is a guy, who has not been charged by the Police Commission or berated by his political authority Sagala R for criminal assault on record. IGP had allegedly threatened a female Police receptionist with rape as well. So, what can we expect from a mere traffic cop? Recording PC is a sexually frustrated idiot, who misused his uniform to threaten 2 female members of the public with interrogation at a Police station down town. DISGUSTING!
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Jimsofty / November 1, 2017
she is showing her thighs. What is unique about it. Go to a swiming pool or to the beach you see many different thighs and some thigs are admirable for men. We do not have to hide that men like the women’s body except when those make men realize suffering and muneuthkamyata ghana (urge to give up samsara). IF she di d not like any one seeing her body parts she should have been in a Saree or in a gown or even Kurtha.
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Harishchandra / November 1, 2017
Koheda yanney? Malley pol. First see what this article is about before expressing your views.
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sathsidu ganasara / November 1, 2017
Harischandra, What Jimsofty says is true.Those that expose their bodies – thighs,breasts legs, should be aware that they arouse passion. If the buddhist priests of Sigiriya could be tempted why not a policeman or for that a safron robed gentleman.
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Harishchandra / November 2, 2017
No my dear it is about posting it on social media that she is against and wants to complain about.
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Siri / November 1, 2017
Mohamed Ali, the great, said to his daughter- all precious things are hard to get and well covered up, pearl inside a shell in deep down the bottom of the ocean, diamond and gold covered up in tons and tons of earth and rocks. So Hana your body is very precious, and cover up.
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'Siri de Alwis / November 1, 2017
Don’t forget. He was a Muslim.
Siri
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Singhalese pundit / November 1, 2017
In Sri Lanka it is ok..
To bribe ..to take money or to give money ..all are doing it ..from politicians to public.
Look how M& R co got away with all corruption charges ..
So why not poor police man or poor public.
Politicians should set examples and then you can see change in public..they will have moral right to demand from public..
This is not to say that we all should do illegal things
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Oshinfan / November 1, 2017
I find no fault in what the policeman did. The woman clearly tries to bribe the policeman. You can hear her say ” Ow. Mang weradii”. May be the majority of policemen take bribes. This officer is an exception. The woman sees that the officer cannot be bribed and the start calling the officer “Sir”. She must be a relative of some bigshot. The woman’s friend can be heard saying ” Baappata call karamu”.
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Civilian / November 1, 2017
Oshinfan, Don’t you realize that this officer is doing the recording to put it on facebook. Therefore he will not take the bribe instead focus on the bribe offer. Although you claim he is an exception., it is not so. He is only emboldened to take such action since he wants to show himself as Mr. Clean, may be to earn some brownie points, and possibly a promotion. If only it was not on camera, all cops are hungry and craving for bribes. Now it is gong to be worse, with the introduction of the 25,000/- fine for certain traffic violations. Whenever thee are taxes and fines, the hungry cops and customs will be the first to have take their share. The government revenues can wait. If you see some of the homes built for CO’s you will know better. .
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Mallaiyuran / November 1, 2017
This is the record of the rapist police. That unprofessional fellow was trying to take an easy target. He seems to be acted strangely by not taking the money because he needed this sleecy video. His behaviour is showing he should be a in king robbing the victims. It is the woman’s time to hire a good lawyer and get some money out of Appe Aanduwa. Then only Aanduwa will tell what is professionalism to its barbaric police force. We, about two years ago, show a video that a police barbarian decided that woman was sleepy one and kept beating on the public road until she fainted. There is another video showing how the commanders of rapist were teaching rookie girls. Will an Ayatullah tell these rapist policies to behave with women decently. No they need only an elevated position for them and the Sinhala Buddhism. Never mind about the culture and decency.
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Nicole Phillips / November 1, 2017
I saw the video… the cop very clearly states that her giving money along with the license is an attempt to bribe a public official. he then goes on to tell her that under the law he has to charge her for attempted bribery and to accompany him to the police station. let her go to the police commission. Now desperate to do anything to get out of the mess she is in…
Hats off to this police officer.
This incident happened in a public place and i dont see the issue in it being posted since most people are very eager to post videos of other things of an equal nature…
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thumpane gamaya / November 1, 2017
This woman must be crazy to go before our kangaroo courts unless she is willing to do the same thing she did to the police officer……that is to bribe the judges so she can have the verdict that she prefers………
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Nils / November 1, 2017
Why is it that when someone publishes a video of police officer taking a bribe or doing something unlawful We praise it and when the tables are turned, We come up with silly theories. If you didn’t see the video, please don’t comment :)
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Monica / November 1, 2017
I feel that the problem here is not the Cop recording the incident, in his defence and to be used as evidence if & when needed, but publishing it on a Public Forum is not right.
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Mallaiyuran / November 1, 2017
Video was recorded only to publish in social media. There was no other motive behind it. He recorded only after recognizing the opportunity of the clamorous nature of the incident. He wanted to call his friends and introduce them his social media “Machchan did you see my job?… watch it man, really upscale!” First this rapist police have to prove he did not put forward an inducing talk for bribe before he started let the camera roll. If he is going turn around and trap the woman, in all common sense, it is highly unlikely the woman offering bribe on camera. It appears to be not just trapping it seems to open bullying to make people to surrender to their wants. Camera started to roll after the rapist police became too thirsty on the spot. That is where everything of his intentions sets in beyond his evidence collecting to protect him on the highly dangerous highways stops. I think women organizations must step into this case prevent this policeman go to next step on his next stop to demand from family women to pose for his camera.
Normally polices are not asked to video while on active duty. In many places it is prevented by law to keep troopers protected and focused on dangerous situations. I may doubt a judge allow a camera from a policeman unless he sees it is unavoidable. In developed countries, Car-Cam, Body-Cam are there. But even those evidences frequently get dismissed by Judges. One New Jersey Town supervisor said “Yes the body-cams are getting dismissed but when we review them for administrational purpose, we discipline the police. They are worth for their money”. In this case there were witnesses in that car. If the lawyer takes the case is correct, the rapist police will have his time in the court.
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Uthungan / November 1, 2017
What if this cop knew that if he showed it to his boss who took bribes what he would have done if this woman approached him with a bigger bribe?
That is why this cop has a valid reason to let the court and public know the plain evidence recorded on his camera. Video Cameras do not always lie because that can be found out.
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Pacs / November 1, 2017
I don’t think she was trying to bribe. People know how to hand over the money when bribing and the police know how to get it in. The video does not fit in .
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paddy / November 3, 2017
Watch the video and you will realise she was trying to bribe. She herself admitted it.
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Park / November 1, 2017
What the PC did was wrong to put it out on social media. But the PC did another grave mistake, he should have taken the lady into custody for trying to bribe and taken her to courts.
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Jimsofty / November 1, 2017
Video is a fake. How do you proceed with a case without the face ? CT is good now writing fake news.
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Park / November 2, 2017
If the lady files a case against the PC then that alone is the proof.
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K.Pillai / November 1, 2017
Whichever way one looks at this, what the policeman did is wrong. o stop such things happening again, the IGP must take action. IGP has lost his moral authority.
Will Sagala Ratnayaka – Minister of Law & Order tell IGP? Sagala will talk with IGP only if help is needed to his circle!
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Tilvin Fernando / November 2, 2017
Pretty young girl with sexy legs. I hope
She would file a case against the cop.
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prem / November 2, 2017
this is a clear case of sexual harassment, if one looks at the video its very clear. This policeman did not see the thighs and stop the car like our sexist jimsofty says. He stopped the car and filmed the thighs. What is the problem in females wearing shorts? we are ok going to malysia and see women in shorts thats normal for us if somebody wears shorts here we are up in arms. This is not culture, culture is actually a state of mind. If that woman was in saree like our jimsofty would like it that sexist police pervert would not have filmed it and would not have posted it on the web. There are enough perverts in this country.
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laki / November 3, 2017
cant see anything other than her legs?? Grow up prem
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jehan / November 2, 2017
the cop is wrong to post. he is already guilty. as for the bribe, having money in hand doesn’t constitute a bribe. cop was a pervert, why was he recording and posting the legs and thighs. typical rapist attitude.
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Romesh / November 2, 2017
Clearly this article is bias.
If civilians can record and post anything on state police then there should not be any problem in a policeman doing the same.
Yes, the policeman should have taken her into custody and used this as proof. This video of her holding the money in the first instance and then later she does mention that she was under the impression that police officers take bribes. This video clearly shows how disrespectful she is towards the officer.
I have come across many crooked cops in the past, but in this instance I am glad the police officer has recorded this incident to show that we civilians are the ones to be blamed for tempting the cops in the first place.
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Shabir Zainudeen / November 2, 2017
Whatever it is, does the Police has the right to FILM everything and everybody? Releasing to the social media itself is a violating other’s privacy,. The Policeman who is supposed to uphold the law does not know the law? We are in “Aashikwold” men.
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Percy / November 3, 2017
What if it was was a fully covered woman like. A Muslim for instance,? No bare legs to salivate at . I see here a breach of the fundamental rights of this young woman.If parts of her body are being portrayed to the public without her permission, and if that breach of privacy does not apply to other sections of the community, then there is a breach of fundamental rights. If I were you, young lady I will seek a consultation with a specialist fundamental rights lawyer. Plenty of them available, and some may even appear free for you if you show a little more than what appeared in the photo.
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Dharshana W / November 3, 2017
If I am to opine on this particular incident, my thoughts would be as follows:
1. Though not yet a requirement in Sri Lanka, is mandatory for Police officers to wear a body camera (bodycam) in some countries.
2. The bodycam provides 1st person evidence of the incident, which can be used in any subsequent litigation process.
3. It is quite evident that the female driver was intent on bribing the traffic policeman. She didn’t have a plan “B” in case the poliman refused, thus leading to her panic, and the occurrences thereupon.
Being late for a “pre-shoot”,is not an excuse for committing a traffic offence. If such is the case, any doctor should get away from any traffic offence, citing an emergency patient. Even I should state that I am late for a lecture and thus 60 post graduate students would be wasting their precious time if so.
4. As for posting the video clip on a social media website, I am not sure of the legal implications, but if the general public is allowed to post any video involving incidents with the Police, I see no ethical reason why a policeman should not be allowed to reciprocate.
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laki / November 3, 2017
thumbs up bro.. It is not the PC who saw his legs other than the incident, but the people who have commented here.
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Romesh / November 5, 2017
Totally agree…
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